Turnbull Named Toronto's Captain

Blayre Turnbull was named PWHL Toronto's first ever captain, with Renata Fast and Jocelyne Larocque named assistant captains.

PWHL Toronto has announced that Blayre Turnbull will be the first captain in franchise history on Saturday afternoon.

The announcement was made on the iconic Nathan Philip Square rink, on Saturday afternoon two days before the team's first game just down the road at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.

Turnbull has been a member of the Canadian women's national team for the last six World Championships and the last two Olympics. She has been an assistant captain for the Canadian team for the last three years of international play.

The 30-year-old Nova Scotia native has had experience being a captain as she took on the role in her senior season with the University of Wisconsin back in 2014-2015.

Joining her, Jocelyne Larocque and Renata Fast will serve as Toronto’s assistant captains as part of the team's leadership group.

Larocque has had leadership experiences previously with Team Canada as she was an assistant captain most recently at the 2022 Olympic games in Beijing as well as the World Championships held in Denmark during the same year.

The veteran blueliner will bring ample experience to the role, as she has played in 100 games for Canada as well as 195 professional games in three different leagues including the CWHL and the PWHPA Dream Gap tour.

The lone Ontario native in the group, Fast, also has a long history of representing Canada on the international stage. This past World Championships in Brampton was her first chance to be an assistant captain with the national team. This came after playing 56 games including two Olympics and four World Championships with Canada.

The 29-year-old blueliner also has a winning reputation as she has won three gold medals and the NCAA championship with Clarkson University in 2013-2014. She would go on to become an assistant captain the next season as well as her senior year for the Clarkson Golden Knights.

Toronto will hit the ice for the first time on New Year's day as they host PWHL New York at 12:30 pm EST.